brat: Club Banger And Artistic Masterpiece
Brat summer is upon us!!
I typically don't talk about albums this soon after their release. I like to let them marinate and kind of settle into the artist’s intentions so other, more qualified reviewers can give their two cents first. But obviously, an exception has been made, and an exception that I am so glad to make because, if I’m being honest, if I don't start talking about this album, I'm going to start tweaking and breaking shit.
“365 Party girl bumping that”
Typically, in pieces like this, I like to relate an album and its contents to some greater meaning so I can feel like some kind of Nobel laureate. I also typically like to cover albums with overarching themes or unique emotional and artistic sounds like I'm trying to discuss art and not review music. This is extremely unfair to these artists who pour years into their work; all music is art just by the act of creating it. This is not to start a conversation about what is art and what is not art, because I am of the opinion that anything is art if you just stop being a bitch about it. Art, like all things that are meant to be observed and enjoyed, is subjective and filled with different opinions and perspectives on what is good and what is not. This, of course, does not diminish artistry or the merit of art, as even though I'd rather get shot in the back of the head than listen to an Ed Sheeran album, he has all the listeners and success he has for a reason. This is to say that I originally dismissed Charli XCX as it was easy for me to hear a song and simply think that it was good and fun but didn't hold a candle to music that held more artistic depth. Part of this thinking is that much of Charli’s music is more upbeat and may, on the surface, lack lyrical depth. I was obsessed with listening to music with "meaning.” This really meant I was just miserable and was listening to a lot of sad music. I had the idea in my mind that sad songs equal artistry and are therefore more valid and worthy of my time. As I stopped being so miserable and started to enjoy other types of music outside of my self-wallowing playlists filled with Mitski and Phoebe Bridgers, Charli’s music just grabbed me by the proverbial balls, and then I heard art that didn't make me miserable for once.
“Wish you'd just talk talk to me.”
Brat is a masterpiece. Let's get that out of the way first. I am frankly unable to be critical, and if you've been an avid reader of my last pieces, I hope that is apparent. I am not a critic, and to be bold, I believe that the job of a critic is an easy one. To sit and critique music is a lot easier than to analyze it, and to be able to appreciate art helps build understanding. But critique is a natural step in the process of creating something, so I’ll indulge you and critique this album.........
Okay, now that’s out of the way, this is Charli's best album. There is no competition, and you can argue that albums like Crash lack the identity and experimental sound that Charli may be known for. And that her earlier albums are just basic cookie-cutter pop albums, despite me loving them very dearly. But this album stands in defiance of much of the criticism that Charli has faced previously. It is simultaneously Baby’s first easily digestible hyper-pop album and an album that is also timeless and perfectly captures the zeitgeist and culture surrounding the listeners of Charli. Charli even beats my misconception that she can’t carry the same depth as many in the indie world she rides the line with. This is an album that, at times, can be very vulnerable, which is not something that many would typically attribute to an album with the sound of Brat. Charli tackles a lot of her femininity in this album, whether it’s her relationship with other women and the insecurities she faces, her tackling issues of motherhood, or even a tribute song to the late Sophie. Charli, seriously, just does it all. She does this while also creating club classics that will rock gay clubs for generations. This album can be empowering, raw, and a damn good time all at once, and if that isn’t artistry, I don’t know what else is.
“Your words are brutal, loving, and truthful.”
This album opened a way for me to let go of being obsessed with art that has to be sad or carry massive meaning in every part of it. This is not to dismiss or belittle my previous works, as I still hold albums such as Preacher's Daughter and Titanic in high regard. I mean, I wrote about them for a reason, and much of my opinion on them still stands. But it was easy to just exclusively care about that kind of music and disregard albums like Brat because it’s easy for me to be miserable all the time and revel in that feeling. The idea of being tortured or misunderstood is a crux I tend to fall upon. The tortured writer archetype was something that seemed desirable, but art doesn’t have to make you feel like shit, and you don’t have to feel like shit to create things you're proud of. Originally, this post was supposed to be this big, long extrapolating piece on my personal growth and how fucked up being me is, but it was scraped because spending time feeling sorry for myself and publishing a piece that was 90 percent me talking your head off about my weird relationship with my dad was something that has become less and less appealing as time has passed. That’s because I’m tired of always writing about sad shit and therefore spending time obsessing over myself and all the things that make me feel like shit, but this is not to say that I will just stop writing about that and stop giving in to those thoughts. That is just not who I am; being thoughtful and reflecting is what has made me the person I am today, but to balance that with much of the joy I am grateful to have now is even more important. Brat has meant exactly that to me. It may sound crude to relate these thoughts to an album about getting crunk in the club. But, surprisingly, Brat is a very well-balanced album, not just in its musical components but in the way it addresses its themes and the meanings behind the lyrics. This balance has translated to me in my growth, pain, the enjoyment of writing this, and the loathing of finding more inspiration all of it, because if Charli XCX can come to terms with her relationship with Lorde, maybe I can come to terms with myself and how I deserve to be happy and enjoy good things. And Brat is a good thing. Enjoying life again is a good thing, and enjoying art that doesn't make you miserable is an amazing thing. So from me to you, have an amazing summer, have an amazing brat summer, and eat great meals. Go out with your friends, appreciate great art, and stop listening to music that makes you sad all the time!
-Thank you for reading! xoxo
Much love- Jamie